Toilet bowl cleaning tool



May 16, 1967 J. M. MONTGOMERY TOILET BOWL CLEANING TOOL Filed March 31, 1966 F 8: ATTORNEYS M... M m

United States Patent 3,319,281 TOILET BOWL CLEANING TOOL James M. Montgomery, 4288 Fulton Drive NW., Canton, Ohio 44718 Filed Mar. 31, 1%6, Ser. No. 539,087 2 Claims. (61. -244) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A toilet bowl cleaning tool having a sponge rubber mop head the outer surface of which is formed as a surface of revolution providing four axially adjacent sections; the first and fourth sections providing spherically shaped end sections, the second and third sections being reversely oriented to form a central annular groove; and a handle joined to the mop head, the handle having a reduced shank terminating in an enlarged tip; the mop head having an internal recess in which the handle shank and tip are inserted, said recess generally matching but smaller than the contour of the shank and tip.

The invention relates to a cleaning tool or mop for toilet bowls and urinals and more particularly to a tool having a work head formed of particular materials to a particular shape so as to more effectively and efficiently perform a toilet bowl cleaning operation in use.

Heretofore, cleaning tools for toilet bowls have been formed as brushes with bristles mounted on a wire or plastic handle, or have been made of soft natural or synthetic sponges having a ball-like mop head shape. In use, such wire handle tools have scratched the porcelain surfaces of toilet bowls. Also, the prior tools have been ineffective in use to apply sufiicient scrubbing pressure against rounded surfaces or into or around corners or recesses in toilet bowls to remove hard deposits from the bowl surfaces.

Accordingly, objectives of the invention are to provide a new cleaning tool having a mop head formed of firm but flexible material having surfaces presenting a series of spherical segments arranged to provide work surfaces that may be used efiiciently to clean in and around shoulders and shouldered recesses and rounded cavities in a toilet bowl or urinal, having a handle connection adapted for efiicient manipulation of the specially shaped mop head, and having other characteristics which eliminate difficulties and solve problems existing in the art.

These and other objects and advantages apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description may be obtained, the stated results achieved and the described difiiculties overcome by the structures, devices, arrangements and parts which comprise the present invention, the nature of which is set forth in the following general statement, a preferred embodiment of whichillustrative of the best mode in which applicant has contemplated applying the principles-is set forth in the following description and shown in the drawing, and which are particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims.

The nature of the improved toilet bowl cleaning tool construction may be stated generally as including a mop head formed of firm small cell sponge rubber maintaining its general shape without substantial distortion when pressed heavily against a surface to be cleaned, having an outer surface formed as a surface of revolution configured to provide four axially adjacent sections including a first section formed as a spherical segment, a second section formed as an opposed spherical segment, a third section formed as a spherical segment similar to the second in reverse position, and a fourth section formed as a spherical segment similar to the first section; the first and fourth sections forming rounded ends for the mop head; the second and third sections forming an annular groove centrally of the head; and a handle joined to the mop head, the handle preferably having a reduced shank with an enlarged rounded tip extending axially of the mop head sections with the handle tip located centrally with respect to the mop head groove.

By Way of example, the improved tool is shown in the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the improved cleaning tool construction;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation with the mop head and handle connection in section;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the handle before assembly with the mop head; and

FIG. 4 is an axial sectional view of the mop head before assembly with the handle.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the various figures of the drawing.

The improved cleaning tool includes a handle 1 and a may head generally indicated at 2 which is formed of small cell sponge rubber having a firm consistency such as to resist substantial distortion upon being pressed heavily against a surface to be cleaned. Such firmness further may be defined as being such and to resist more than 10% deflection of the mop head when being pressed against a surface being cleaned with the maximum amount of pressure that the average individual may exert in use of the tool.

Such firmness also is represented by the sponge rubber having a durometer reading of 25 Shore A plus or minus 10 percent.

As well illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4 the mop head has a special outer surface configuration formed as a surface of revolution and including sections 3, 4, 5, and 6 each of which is formed preferably as a spherical segment. The first section 3 has an outer spherical surface portion 7; the second section 4 has a spherical surface portion 8 located oppositely or reversed from the spherical surface 7; the third section 5 has a spherical surface portion 9 similar to but reversed from the surface 8; and the fourth section 6 has a spherical surface portion 10 similar to but oppositely located with respect to the surface 7. Surfaces 7 and 10 thus comprise spherically shaped and surfaces of the mop head 2, related to the axis of the m-op head indicated at 11 by dot-dash lines. The intermediate spherically shaped surfaces 8 and 9 form a central annular groove 12.

The interior of the mop head 2 is formed with a recess 13 generally matching the contour of but smaller than the contour of the shank 14 of handle 1. Handle shank 14- is reduced at 15 and terminates in a tip 16 preferably rounded at its outer end. When handle shank 14 is assembled in recess 13 of mop head 2 as shown in FIG. 2, the tip 16 is located centrally with respect to the mop head groove 12.

Since the mop head is made of firm sponge rubber, the handle tip may be inserted into the mop head recess and maintained assembled therewith due to the coupled engagement of the enlarged tip 16 in recess 13. If desired, a permanent connection between the handle 1 and mop head 2 may be formed by gluing or cementing. Handle 1 may be formed of any rigid material such as wood, plastic or metal. Thus, heavy pressure as great as the average person can exert may be applied through the handle to the mop head in performing a cleaning operation, without substantial distortion of the special mop head shape.

The firmness of the mop head coupled with its configuration permits any of the angular or rounded or shouldered or recessed surfaces of a toilet bowl or urinal to be cleaned with heavy pressure by the mop head against the surface being cleaned, This enables lime deposits, rust deposits, encrustments, and other foreign matter to be dislodged from the surface of a toilet bowl or urinal being cleaned. The rounded, enlarged head connection between the tip 16 of handle 1 and the recess 13 in mop head 2 permits even distribution of pressure by the mop head against a surface being cleaned in almost any direction. Furthermore, the convex or spherical surface configuration of the various sections 3, 4, 5, and 6 of the mop head 2 permits slight compression of the surface of the mop head against the surface being cleaned while maintaining an extended area of cleaning contact.

Finally, the central annular groove arrangement 12 formed by the convex spherical surfaces 8 and 9 provide for maximum cleaning efficiency against shouldered annular rim portions of a toilet bowl which heretofore has presented great difficulties in cleaning.

The improved tool in use avoids any scraping of the surfaces of the plumbing fixture being cleaned such as frequently occurs from the wire handles of cleaning brushes; and presents more available wearing and pres sure surfaces for contact under all degrees of pressure against the varying surface shapes in plumbing fixtures being cleaned.

Accordingly, the improved construction provides a combination of a new shape of mop head formed of extremely firm but yielding material by which more satisfactory cleaning operations may be carried out than heretofore was possible with prior art toilet bowl cleaning tools.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding; but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention and the new construction is by way of example, and the scope of the invention is not limited to the exact details, curvatures, etc. described or shown because various cleaning tools of various sizes incorporating the fundamentals of the invention may be made without depart- 'ing from the fundamental principles set forth.

Having now described the features, discoveries and the 4 principles of the invention, the construction of the improved tool, and the advantageous, new and useful results obtained thereby, the new and useful structures, devices, elements, arrangements, parts and combinations, and mechanical equivalents obvious to those skilled in the art are set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Toilet bowl cleaning tool construction including a mop head formed of sponge rubber having firmness sufficient to resist substantial distortion when pressed against a surface to be cleaned, the outer surface of the mop head being formed as a surface of revolution configured to provide four axially adjacent sections; each head section having a spherical outer surface portion, the first and fourth sections providing spherically shaped end surfaces for the mop head, the second and third sections being reversely oriented with respect to each other to form a central annular groove; and a handle joined to the mop head, a reduced shank upon the handle, an enlarged rounded tip upon the terminal end of said shank, the mop head being formed with an internal recess generally matching the contour of but smaller than the contour of the shank and tip, the handle shank and tip being inserted in and held in said recess by coupled engagement of the enlarged tip in the matching recess portion.

2. The construction defined in claim 1 in which the enlarged rounded handle tip when assembled with the mop head is located centrally with respect to the mop head groove.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,586,337 5/1926 Stockwell. 2,149,950 3/1939 Axline 15-l88 2,771,070 11/1956 Saxon 128269 X 3,195,548 7/1965 Leatakis 15104.3 X 3,228,398 1/1966 Leonard et al 15-244 X FOREIGN PATENTS 227,326 3/1960 Australia. 81,927 1/1957 Denmark. 636,518 5/1950 Great Britain. 657,460 9/1951 Great Britain.

' DANIEL BLUM, Primary Examiner. 

1. TOILET BOWL CLEANING TOOL CONSTRUCTION INCLUDING A MOP HEAD FORMED OF SPONGE RUBBER HAVING FIRMNESS SUFFICIENT TO RESIST SUBSTANTIAL DISTORTION WHEN PRESED AGAINST A SURFACE TO BE CLEANED, THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE MOP HEAD BEING FORMED AS A SURFACE OF REVOLUTION CONFIGURED TO PROVIDE FOUR AXIALLY ADJACENT SECTIONS; EACH HEAD SECTION HAVING A SPHERICAL OUTER SURFACE PORTION, THE FIRST AND FOURTH SECTIONS PROVIDING SPHERICALLY SHAPED END SURFACES FOR THE MOP HEAD, THE SECOND AND THIRD SECTIONS BEING REVERSELY ORIENTED WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER TO FORM A CENTRAL ANNULAR GROOVE; AND A HANDLE JOINED TO THE MOP HEAD, A REDUCED SHANK UPON THE HANDLE, AN ENLARGED ROUNDED TIP UPON THE TERMINAL END OF SAID SHANK, THE MOP HEAD BEING FORMED WITH AN INTERNAL RECESS GENERALLY MATCHING THE CONTOUR OF BUT SMALLER THAN THE CONTOUR OF THE SHANK AND TIP, THE HANDLE SHANK AND TIP BEING INSERTED IN AND HELD IN SAID RECESS BY COUPLED ENGAGEMENT OF THE ENLARGED TIP IN THE MATCHING RECESS PORTION. 